Modi and Shah should quit if BJP fares poorly in Delhi polls: Congress

Updated: Monday, February 9, 2015, 19:54 [IST]

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New Delhi, Feb 9: Congress on Monday ducked questions on whether Rahul Gandhi will take responsibility for a bad show by the party in Delhi polls, but wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah to quit if that party does not fare well.

Party spokesman Ajoy Kumar also parried a question whether Priyanka Gandhi will play a 'larger role' in the organisation if it did not do well in Delhi.

Counting of votes will take place tomorrow.

"Modi and Shah should resign first as they have made the polls a referendum on the working of the Central government. The Prime Minister had jumped whole hog into the campaigning so also the whole Cabinet", party spokesman Ajoy Kumar said in reply to a volley of questions on the issue.

He also utilised the occasion to take a dig at some Chambers of Commerce noting that a few industry lobbies had even given advertisements in newspapers during campaigning hailing the leadership of the Prime Minister for an unrelated activity.

The AICC briefing saw the spokesman being asked whether Congress would be looking for an alternative to Rahul if it did not do well in Delhi and whether such a development would cause deep introspection within the party.

On questions on Rahul and the issue of responsibility, he said that the party fought the elections under the leadership of AICC General Secretary Ajay Maken.

Maken has already offered to resign in such a eventuality in view of being the Chairman of the campaign committee for the polls.

"We will talk about that later, but let them (Modi and Shah) first quit," he said when a reporter persisted with question that will Rahul and Sonia Gandhi resign from their posts as Congress Vice President and President if the party fares poorly.

When some other questions were posed on the polls, he remarked "do not be in a haste. What has come out were only exit polls".

Striking a philosophical note, Kumar said that in politics, sometimes a party wins and sometimes loses. Noting that the party has seen such updowns, he said at one time the party was ruling just three states, but it had soon gone on to be the ruling party in 17 states.

"We will not give any knee-jerk reaction. We will go back to the drawing board. Deeply think about it.....You will see the action on the ground", he added.

"I have no idea. I will have to check up", he remarked when asked whether Priyanka could play a 'larger role' in the party in the event of an adverse verdict in Delhi.